Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in san francisco, CA

Yerba Buena Gardens Supports the Tap Project and UNICEF

March 23, 2009

If you missed it this weekend, or if you haven’t been to Yerba Buena Gardens (YBG) in awhile, there is still time today and tomorrow to check out some new sculptures. YBG is providing UNICEF (in relation to the Tap project) sculpture space, pro bono, to help support the need for clean water. The sculptures will be showcased around the fountains until March 24th. This is an excellent opportunity to re-visit a popular San Francisco location, or if you’re brand new to the city, this is a spot you need to check out.

Yerba Buena Gardens (the garage is located at 5th and Mission) is a great place to take the kids to let them run and play. Surrounded by the Metreon and the Moscone, YBG has something for everyone:

• Zeum
  Zeum is a community-based art and technology museum serving youth and families in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. With a mission to foster creativity in young people, Zeum provides high quality, interactive experiences using art, media and technology tools to ignite the imagination and inspire lifelong learning.
• Yerba Buena Ice Skating Center
  The skating center offers year-round ice skating seven days a week, which includes public sessions, a skating school, and youth/adult hockey. The Hockey/Skate retail store features a full service Pro Shop and authentic skatewear. You can also host your Birthday Parties and Corporate events there. The center has accommodations for groups between 10-500 people.
• Yerba Buena Bowling Center
  The bowling center has 12 lanes, which are open 7 days a week. You can host Birthday Parties and Corporate Events for 10-100 people here and Bowling Leagues are also available.
• Historic Charles Looff Carousel
  The beautifully hand-carved Charles Loof Carousel was built in 1906 and was formerly the Carousel from Playland-at-the-Beach where it ran from 1912 to 1972. In 1998, it was purchased by the City of San Francisco, fully restored and brought to Yerba Buena Gardens. The carousel is open Daily from 10am-6pm. Admission is $2 per ride and is located at the corner of 4th and Howard next to the Zeum.

Sit With Santa -- No Waiting!

by Graham Charles

December 17, 2008

I always feared the obligatory Santa Claus portrait -- not the actual sitting, but the waiting. Call me crazy, but the thought of waiting most of an hour in line to pay extortionist rates for posed and washed-out photos seemed less than savory. So when we went down to Macy's the other day, it was actually to see the cute (and adoptable!) puppies and kittens that the SPCA puts in Macy's  Read more...

A San Francisco Holiday -- Kid-Style

by Graham Charles

December 02, 2008

San Francisco goes a little nutso around the holidays. Once those outlining lights appear on the Financial District's skyscrapers, holiday events start to crop up on every corner. If you're really intent on not missing a single one, you can check out the Visitors' Bureau's entire list of festivities , but to trim it down, here are some of my favorites: I love to ice skate, and there are once  Read more...